createMPLS’s STEM Learning Opportunities with UltiMaker

createMPLS’s mission is to prepare students for the future of work through accessible technology learning opportunities. The organization partners with brands like UltiMaker to bring quality hands-on STEM learning to inner-city Minneapolis youth, helping to bridge skills and experience gaps and enable more students to succeed in higher education and today’s job market.

Through its the Method and Sketch series 3D printers, createMPLS offers access to 3D printing, alongside other technologies, to the students, teaching classes during the day at schools and offering after school and summer programs.

We spoke with Elliot Hoilien, engineering undergrad and former student of createMPLS, to learn more about how they use 3D printing across different projects.

MakerBot: How did you start with 3D printing?
Elliot: I was first introduced to it by seeing an instructor print in middle school, but I did not begin using it until I was tasked with designing custom parts to print for my team’s robot FIRST Tech Challenge, a robotics competition for students in grades 7-12.

MakerBot: What was the impact of createMPLS on your education, as well as outside of school?
Elliot: createMPLS introduced me into the tangible applications of math and science through the robotics programs they provided. It got me excited to see how what I was learning in the classroom could be used for innovation.

MakerBot: Any lessons learned from using 3D printing?
Elliot: I learned how to customize ideas to specifically solve a problem and how to incorporate those ideas into existing systems.

Elliot also highlighted a few projects from createMPLS and how 3D printing played a key role -

Drone applications

The goal was for students to build their own drones, gaining hands-on experience with the components and systems that make the drone work.

3D printed parts
Key parts, including custom motor arms and the drone’s main body

3D printing materials
ABS and carbon fiber

Design process
The motor arms, for example, took five hours to prototype with three versions made to fine-tune the fit.

Other technologies used
Solidworks was used for design, while other technologies like Arduino for control and coding were integrated for operability.

Hydroponics applications

This hydroponics project aimed to create an affordable and sustainable indoor gardening system for both personal and educational settings.

3D printed parts
Key components, including custom brackets to mount hydroponic baskets and a moisture sensor, were 3D printed to provide precise, tailored solutions.

3D printing materials
ABS

Design process
The bracket took six hours from concept to prototype, with three iterations to improve material efficiency and connection stability. The sensor mount was designed in 4 hours, with three iterations to correct alignment and threading issues.

Other technologies used
Woodworking for construction, soldering for LED strip assembly, plumbing for the water system, coding to integrate sensor data and automate the system’s response.

The goal of this pyrotechnics project was to design a smaller, more reliable, and portable remote-controlled ignition system for a group of skydivers using fireworks for their show.

Pyrotechnics applications

3D printed parts
Custom casings for all the system’s electronics, including a computer chip, battery, switch, LED indicators, custom PCB for ignition, and wire connectors.

3D printing materials
ABS

Design process
The design process took about eight hours for alignment and fitting, with five hours of printing spread over multiple sessions. The design went through three iterations to accommodate the custom PCB and adjust tolerances for a better fit.